Using Metagenomics to Identify Microbes on the International Space Station
By
David Wells
Summary
This article explains how metagenomics is used to identify microbes living on the International Space Station (ISS), which has been continuously inhabited for over 25 years. It draws an analogy between searching for similar DNA sequences in metagenomics and searching for similar documents or web pages. The piece walks through the process of taking an unlabelled DNA sequence and finding a matching known species to determine what microorganisms can survive the harsh conditions of space, including stellar radiation and microgravity.
Source
bskyUsing Metagenomics to Identify Microbes on the International Space Stationtowardsdatascience.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledAs the old tomato at the back of your fridge will tell you, that's plenty of time to start growing mould.
What microbes are tough enough to survive on the International Space Station with stellar radiation and no gravity?
You take your unlabelled DNA sequence and try to find a very similar sequence from a known species, which is very similar to searching for similar documents or web pages.
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